WEEKDAY EDITION: Wear proper eclipse gear today....
NASA television coverage of today's solar eclipse
Today, Monday, Aug. 21, all of North America will be treated
to an eclipse of the Sun, and NASA Television will carry it
live from coast to coast from unique vantage points on the
ground and from aircraft and spacecraft, including the
International Space Station. Coverage will be featured
during the live four-hour broadcast Eclipse Across America:
Through the Eyes of NASA.
Programming begins at noon EDT with a preview show hosted
from Charleston, South Carolina. The main show begins at 1
p.m. and will cover the path of totality the eclipse will
take across the United States, from Oregon to South
Carolina.
The program will feature views from NASA research aircraft,
high-altitude balloons, satellites and specially-modified
telescopes. It also will include live reports from
Charleston, as well as from Salem, Oregon; Idaho Falls,
Idaho; Beatrice, Nebraska; Jefferson City, Missouri;
Carbondale, Illinois; Hopkinsville, Kentucky; and
Clarksville, Tennessee.
The Toshiba Vision screen in New York’s Times Square will
broadcast the program live in its entirety to give the
public a big-screen view of the eclipse. Viewers in Times
Square can listen to NASA coverage while observing it on the
big screen by downloading the NASA app or going to
https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive .
Canada Proposes Implementing a
60-Meter Band While Retaining
Discrete Channels
An Industry Canada (IC)
regulatory consultation
(proceeding) aimed at
implementing the changes from
the 2015 World
Radiocommunication Conference
(WRC-15) could lead to the
allocation of a 60-meter band in
Canada in addition to the five
discrete channels that are
congruent with those in the US.
IC is seeking comments on this
and other revisions that take
WRC-15 into account.
“The consultation is the
first step in the process for
regulatory changes,”
International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) Region 2 Area A
Director George Gorsline, VE3YV,
explained. “After the 60-day
period, responses are tabulated,
made public and the regulator
then determines how to proceed.”
Gorsline said there is no fixed
schedule before any allocation
changes would be made. Even
then, he added, Canada’s Amateur
Radio regulations would have to
be updated to incorporate them
before the new allocation would
became available for amateur
use.
As the Consultation notes, a
number of countries have
authorized, subject to various
restrictions, operation by
Amateur radio licensees within
the 5,250-5,450 kHz frequency
range. “To date, no interference
has been reported,” IC said in
the consultation. “Ultimately, a
world-wide, secondary allocation
of 15 kHz in the frequency band
5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz was made to
the Amateur Service with an
effective isotropic radiated
power (EIRP) limit of 15 W” in
most of Region 2. “The proposed
changes to the Canadian Table
[of Allocations] will allow
Canadian Amateur Radio operators
to assist in domestic and
international emergency or
disaster‑relief situations,” IC
said.
The regulator proposed
retaining the five discrete
channels already available to
radio amateurs — 5,332, 5,348,
5,358.5, 5,373, and 5,405 kHz.
ARRL has petitioned the FCC to
allocate the same contiguous
band — 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz — to
US radio amateurs with a 100 W
PEP power limit, while also
retaining the five discrete
60-meter channels that have been
available for several years.
“I hope this may be helpful
to us to use as an example to
other IARU Region 2 countries to
convince them to both keep any
existing 60-meter domestic
allocation and add the ITU
allocation as well,” Gorsline
said in a Radio Amateurs of
Canada (RAC)
bulletin, released on August 19.
Gorsline is RAC's International
Affairs Officer.
WEEKEND EDITION: Thanks for the replies from Norm and Kriss regarding biobricks...............Rain
and drizzle here today, I have a wedding to go to tomorrow
in Concord, NH at the Audubon Society, hope the weather
clears up.
Ham radio operators to monitor
roadways...we all should sleep better tonight knowing
this...
Forty amateur radio operators will be providing three days
of volunteer service beginning Saturday morning and
concluding whenever Monday’s outbound traffic rush subsides
following the Great American Solar Eclipse
Independent-Enterprise reports:
At public information presentations covering issues
surrounding the upcoming eclipse, State of Idaho emergency
officials have acknowledged that cellphones are likely to
prove unreliable at times in the Western Treasure Valley if
the expected crush of visitors indeed materializes.
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is regarded as a
reliable alternative to other communications technologies.
Julie Bunker KV7JB, Payette County emergency coordinator for
the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), a national
group, said the amateur radio operators will be positioned
in locations selected by emergency managers for Payette and
Washington counties.
Read the full story at
http://www.argusobserver.com/independent/news/ham-radio-operators-to-monitor-roadways/article_e67a5054-82a2-11e7-a83b-a7e529f8e198.html
Australia - Senate slams ABC cut to
shortwave radio
The ABC has been slammed by all sides of politics over its
'foolish' decision to cut the transmission of shortwave
radio to remote Australia and the Pacific Islands.
The Senate debated a private bill on Thursday by crossbench
senator Nick Xenophon to force the ABC to restore
transmission after it was cut earlier this year.
"It seems a terrible decision that's been made by the ABC
board," Senator Xenophon told parliament, accusing the
public broadcaster of ignoring the bush and Australia's
neighbours.
The ABC insists listeners can still tune in via FM and AM
frequencies, the viewer access satellite television (VAST)
service and online.
But senators say the ABC fails to understand those
alternative methods are not available to everyone in the
bush and the information people are missing out on can be
life threatening, such as weather warnings.
Senator Xenophon said the ABC had miscalculated how many
people relied on the service.
"There are some question marks over the methodology used by
the ABC in relation to this."
The South Australian senator warned Australia was "foolish"
to retreat from the Pacific region by cutting shortwave
radio just as other countries like China were expanding
shortwave services in the region.
MORE SPACEJUNK: Russian
Cosmonauts deploy satellites
On Thursday, July 17, ISS Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor
Yurchikhin, RN3FI and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy
manually deployed 5 satellites during a spacewalk
The satellites were deployed from the Pirs airlock module of
the International Space Station.
Jonathan McDowell @planet4589 Tweeted this information on
the deployment times:
1510 UTC Tomsk-TPU-120
1515 UTC Tanyusha-SWSU 1
1516 UTC Tanyusha-SWSU 2
1521 UTC TNS-0 No. 2
1529 UTC TS-530-Zerkalo (sphere)
Three of the satellites carry amateur radio payloads,
Tanyusha-SWSU 1 & 2 on 437.050 MHz with either 9k6 FSK or FM
voice announcements and Tomsk-TPU-120 on 437.025 MHz with FM
voice announcements.
The Truth About Echolink
Over the years, there have been many debates regarding the
legalities of Echolink. I intend to provide a fresh look,
one which has never been considered, and to possibly show
that Echolink may not be legal after all. However, this is
not a debate of it's "usefulness".
Lets start with the classic discussion regarding whether or
not the "Echolink System" is actually legal.
The short answer is YES. The reason for this is that Part 97
does not govern the Internet or cell phones. So if we
interconnect radio equipment with other technologies, such
as the Internet, Part 97 can only govern the Amateur Radio
aspect. This means that Part 97 is essentially
"blind-folded" to any aspect outside the scope of Amateur
Radio, and as long as the Echolink RF transmitter system is
compliant (which is within the scope of Part 97), Then yes,
the equipment that comprises the echolink apparatus, is
indeed legal.
Now keep in mind, so far we have only discussed the "system"
itself being legal, basically due to a "technicality". This
gray area, which does allow Echolink, at least in part, is
largely due to the fact that Part 97 was written long before
the Internet was ever created (which is another topic all
it's own). OK, now we have decided the system is legal, and
this is where the discussion has always ended.
Before we get to the next part, we need to discuss basic
Amateur guidelines that we are all familiar with. It goes
something like this:
Part 97. Station Operation Standards §97.101 General
standards.
(a) In all respects not specifically covered by FCC Rules
each amateur station must be operated in accordance with
good engineering and good amateur practice.
I hope that we can all agree that, "good amateur practice",
probably includes all the basic fundamental aspects of
radio, including:
- Station ID every 10 minutes.
- No Profanity.
- No spurious or out-of-band operations.
- General station control, such as frequency, bandwidth,
deviation, and transmit power.
-
Now to the final question about Echolink, which has never
been asked:
How is it possible for a licensed Amateur Radio Operator, to
log into echolink via their phone/Internet, and still
exercise "good amateur practice", when they have no real
tangible access to any actual radio gear, so that they may
directly control frequency, bandwidth, deviation, and
transmit power?
Remember, every licensed operator, even separate operators,
which operate in a "daisy-chained" fashion, are still
required to independently employ "good amateur practice".
The fact that the "echolink transmitter" is compliant and
legal, does not apply to any other independently licensed
station. Also, the fact that most cheap modern equipment
does not offer a lot of "bells and whistles" for operator
control is irrelevant. We are allowed the freedom to choose
our radio gear, or even build it from scratch. Either way
the equipment and operator must be jointly compliant. In the
case of a licensed amateur logged into echolink while using
their phone, although Part 97 does not govern the cell phone
itself, the "actions" of the licensed amateur still are.
Consider this: Can you safely operate a car while
blindfolded? -- Even if you have a drivers license? Of
course not!
So although the Echolink "System" is legal, the Echolink
"users" are essentially blind-folded, and therefore
non-compliant with Part 97 "good amateur practice", since
they could not possibly exercise any fundamental control
beyond station ID, and clearly the fundamental structure of
good amateur practice which applies independently to every
station in the chain, goes well beyond a simple station ID.
Right?
73 DE N5DBX
This weekend for lighthouses
The 20th annual International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend has so far attracted 430 registrations from
throughout the world and a few more may be received.
The 400th is the Gollwitz lighthouse DL1SWB in Germany that
defines the proper approach to Poel Island and Wismar for
ships arriving from the Baltic. The building was in poor
repair when East and West Germany reunified, but is now
renovated.
The aims of the fun-event include raising public awareness
of this old navigation that use to keep sailors safe in
treacherous coastal waterways. It always helps publicise
Amateur Radio and portable operations to the general public.
Both Germany and the USA have 63 registrations each,
followed by Australia 60, England on 30, with 45 countries
in all throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the
Americas.
Amateur Radio Communication
Resources to be Available during
Eclipse Day...what could go wrong?
ARRL, the American Red Cross,
and The Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network ( SATERN)
will partner on Monday, August
21, to provide a nationwide
communication link for local and
regional American Red Cross
units should a communications
failure occur during the solar
eclipse. “Concern has been
expressed by public safety,
emergency management, and others
that the large number of people
— over 7.5 million nationwide —
flowing into the relatively
narrow path of totality may
overload and disrupt the normal
communication infrastructure in
some local areas,” SATERN said
in its August 17 newsletter.
If that happens, the Red
Cross will use local Amateur
Radio Emergency Service® (ARES)
units to provide local back-up
communication. The Red Cross is
interested in regional and
national HF communication
capability and the ability to
pass traffic to its Digital
Operations Coordination Center (DOCC)
at its national headquarters. At
ARRL’s request, SATERN will
activate its net on 14.265 MHz
on an extended monitoring
status, from 1400 until 2200 UTC
on August 21. The SATERN Net
also may be used as a clearing
house for voice traffic if the
Red Cross requires long-range or
nationwide communication
capability.
Stations checking into the
SATERN net will be asked to
report any local conditions that
provide The Salvation Army, the
Red Cross, or ARRL with such
“ground intelligence” as
telecommunications
infrastructure outages
associated with the eclipse,
special preparations being made
by communities for handling
large crowds, and any ARES,
RACES, or other Amateur Radio
public service communications
activated to assist during the
eclipse.
In addition, W1AW will
activate to provide WinLink
connectivity to the Red Cross
DOCC, monitor HF channels with
federal partners, and provide
coordination assistance between
national partners and the field
organization.
Contingency plans were
discussed during an August 15
conference call that involved
ARRL staff, American Red Cross
headquarters staff and regional
disaster officers, the SATERN
national liaison, and ARRL
Section Managers and Section
Emergency Coordinators.
Most ARRL Sections have
already been working with the
Red Cross and will be on
standby. Several shared ICS
205 Communications Plans
with ARRL, SATERN, and Red
Cross, indicating that they plan
to use nets on 40, 60, and 80
meters to handle traffic, mostly
between the field and state
emergency operations centers (EOCs).
FEMA Role
FEMA Region 10 will be
monitoring and conducting a net,
as necessary, on the 5
MHz/60-meter band frequencies in
support of the upcoming solar
eclipse on August 18-23. The
following suppressed carrier
reference frequencies, also
known as dial frequencies or
window frequencies, 5330.5 kHz,
5346.5 kHz, 5357.0 kHz, 5371.5
kHz, and 5403.5 kHz, will be
used as part of the event.
FEMA Region 10 will be using
call sign WGY910 from its
regional office in Bothell,
Washington. FEMA Region 10 will
also be using amateur call sign
KF0EMA from Redmond, Oregon.
Other stations that may be
monitoring and/or participating
as necessary in support of this
event.
The FEMA point of contact is
Dave Adsit,
KG4BIR, FEMA Spectrum Manager,
(540) 272-4605.
Bouvet Island DXpedition receives
largest-ever NCDXF grant
The 3Y0Z team is extremely grateful to the Northern
California DX Foundation for their $100,000 contribution to
our Bouvet Island DXpedition. We are honored and privileged
to receive the largest grant even given by NCDXF.
This contribution by the NCDXF mandates that we as a team,
and each of us as an individual, recognize the
responsibility that accompanies the level of trust placed in
us. It demands the best of us, being on Bouvet singly
focused on the DX and amateur community worldwide -- nothing
else.
We as a team accept that responsibility. We pledge to do our
best – nothing less. Our goal is to have your call in our
log and get home safely – nothing more.
While we are light years from where we started this project,
we still have work to do and financial challenges to meet to
get us to Bouvet, give you those QSO’s, and get home again.
We thank the NCDXF and all of you who have helped us
financially and with your good wishes. You have moved us
well down the path to Bouvet and we would be honored by your
continued support. Together we will make this happen.
Solar Eclipse - Ham Radio Science
Citizen Investigation
The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark will
carry out amateur radio citizen science experiments during
the Solar Eclipse on August 21
Patch reports:
Here are two experiments that NJIT faculty members plan to
carry out:
“Amateur (ham) radio operators will help study these effects
through large-scale citizen science radio experiments using
signals they transmit on shortwave bands,” NJIT
administrators said. “These experiments are coordinated by
HamSCI: the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, an
organization aimed at bringing together the ham radio and
space physics communities.”
“HamSCI is led by Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF, who founded the
organization along with fellow space physicist-ham radio
operators while earning a Ph.D. at Virginia Tech working
with SuperDARN HF radars,” NJIT administrators stated.
“In other research conducted by NJIT and collaborators,
partial phases of the eclipse will be imaged at radio
frequencies with the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) radio
telescope in New Mexico operated by the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and with NJIT's Expanded Owens
Valley Solar Array radio telescope in California,” NJIT
stated.
Read the full story at
https://patch.com/new-jersey/newarknj/solar-eclipse-inspires-cool-science-experiments-nj-ham-radio-sunspots
Radio Amateurs in Atlantic
Canada Go on Standby During
Telephone Outage
Atlantic Canada authorities
called on Amateur Radio
operators in parts of Nova
Scotia on August 4, in the wake
of a telephone service outage.
According to CBC, Bell Aliant
landline and cell services were
down, starting at approximately
11:20 AM. Telus, Virgin, and
Koodo users were also affected.
Jeremy Fowler, VE1JHF, a member
of the Halifax Amateur Radio
Club, said he and other members
of his group were put on standby
to help the municipality cope
with any communication problems.
“[A] bunch of us pulled out our
gear and were on the air, ready
to go, cars loaded up,” he told
CBC. “At that point, everything
was kind of coming online, so
they told us to stand down.”
Martin Swinimer, VE1KLR,
expressed surprise that
emergency services didn't try to
contact him to assist with
communications. He and Chris
Vessey VY2CRV, in Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island, said they
were on stand-by as well.
Vessey told CBC that the
phone outage might serve as a
wake-up call, and he'd like the
public be better educated on how
ham radio works, in the event of
another phone outage or
emergency situation. The outage
was blamed on damage to two
optical fiber lines, and even
emergency responders across the
region experienced some
disruption in connectivity.
WEEKDAY EDITION: Still boxing and moving....Ten
worst cars of all time....this
shit is not good.....Anyone watch the Alaskan Bush
people on the Discovery channel? What a bunch of eefs......
Ham radio operators step up in Good Times and Bad
Emergency Management reports on the key role played by the
USA's 725,000 licensed amateur radio operators
When wildfires, floods, tornadoes and terrorist events
disrupt cellphone communication systems at the moment they
are most needed, that’s when a more than 100-year-old
technology still holds its own.
Amateur radio operators, often called “ham radio operators”
regularly volunteer their skills and expertise to coordinate
responses in emergencies like the Boston Marathon bombing
and when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
There are more than 725,000 licensed amateur radio operators
in the United States. Those that were providing support for
the 2013 Boston Marathon became a key communication link
when cellphone systems became overloaded after bombs
exploded near the finish line killing three and injuring
hundreds.
Here in New Mexico, radio hams play a vital role in battles
against wildfires, said Ed James, section manager for the
Amateur Radio Relay League, the state branch of the national
association for amateur radio.
Read the full story at
http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Local-Ham-Radio-Operators-Step-up-in-Good-Times-and-Bad.html
EMAIL: You had a link today about bringing back
Loran. Brings back memories. That was once my mission -
to screw up 160 meters.
Loran A operated at 1.8 to 2.0 MHZ with 30-35 pulses per
second at about 800 to 1000KW !!
Hams were allowed to use portions of 160 - depending on
where you were, but were limited to 50 to 250 watts out.
Loran A was replaced with Loran C which operated at
100KC - that returned 160 to the hams. Loran C was
replaced with a system called Pilgrim - which was
ultimately replaced with GPS.
The Coast Guard operated all Loran stations except one -
Vero Beach Florida was operated by the USAF.
The photo is of yours truly standing watch on our new
Federal timers in a new building that replaced the old
GE UE-1B timers that were in our Quonset huts damaged by
typhoon "Louise" in 1956 on Iwo Jima.
Bob T
 EMAIL:
Hi Jon,
I had an NC-303 and a Heathkit
Apache from 1961 to 1969.
Seeing the NC-303 on your
website was a nice reminder of days long ago.
Ed – K1MMI
NCDXF Announces $100,000
Contribution to the 3Y0Z Bouvet
Island DXpedition
The Northern California DX
Foundation has announced a
contribution of $100,000 to the
3Y0Z Bouvet Island DXpedition
planned for January 2018. Bouvet
is #2 on the ClubLog Most Wanted
DXCC List. The contribution is
the largest in the history of
the NCDXF.
“The 3Y0Z DXpedition to
Bouvet Island early next year is
likely to be one of the most
expensive DXpeditions ever
attempted — estimated at over
$740,000,” NCDXF Vice President
Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, said in
announcing the donation. “The 20
team members have already
contributed just over half of
this amount.”
In addition to substantial
financial resources, the 3Y0Z
DXpedition will require a
considerable amount of radial
wire for its vertical antennas.
Team member Jim Mornar, N9TK,
has been preparing the radials,
putting the cut-to-length wire
on spools. The radials total
24,000 feet. — Thanks to NCDXF,
The Daily DX
Current is Force and Mechanical Filters
It might surprise you to learn that some radios contain
moving parts, even the solid-state one that's sitting in my
shack.
I installed a mechanical filter the other day and it turns
out that the story on how this works is mind boggling if
you've never come across Richard Adler and Zenith.
While we're on the subject, we look at the "goodness" of a
filter and explore what this has to do with the 17th letter
in the Alphabet.
Foundations of Amateur Radio is a weekly podcast about the
1000 activities that make up the community of radio amateurs
across the globe. You can listen to it on-air, on-demand or
on-line. The podcast is available via iTunes, via Google and
can be found by searching for my callsign VK6FLAB.
You can also visit the website at
http://podcasts.itmaze.com.au/foundations/ where you'll
find this and all the other episodes ready to go.
NEWS
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New England Hams you
might run across on 3864 or 3910.........
K1TP- Jon....Editor of As The
World Turns....
W1STS-
Scott...philosopher, hat
connoisseur,
KB1JXU- Matthew...75 meter
regular...our token liberal Democrat out of VT
KA1BXB-Don....75 meter
Regular......residing on the Cape of Cod, flying
planes and playing radio
KMIG-Rick....75
Meter Regular....teaches the future of mankind, it's
scary!
W1GWU-Bob....one of
the Hosstrader's original organizers, 75 meter
regular, Tech Wizard!!!
K1PEK-Steve..Founder
of Davis-RF....my best friend from high school
K9AEN-John...Easy going ham
found at all the hamfests
K1JEK-Joe...Easy going, can be
found at most ham flea market ...Cobra Antenna
builder..
K1BXI-
John.........Dr. Linux....fine amateur radio op
....wealth of experience...
KA1GJU- Kriss- Tower climbing pilot who cooks on
the side at Hosstrader's...
N1XW.....Mike-easy going, Harley riding kind of
guy!
W1XER...Scott....easy going
guy, loves to split cordwood and hunt...
K1BQT.....Rick....very
talented ham, loves his politics, has designed gear
for MFJ...
W1KQ- Jim-
Retired Air
Force Controller...told quite a few pilots where to
go!
N1OOL-Jeff- The 3936 master
plumber and ragchewer...
K1BRS-Bruce- Computer Tech of 3936...multi
talented kidney stone passing ham...
K1BGH- Arthur, Cape Cod,
construction company/ice cream shop, hard working
man....
W1VAK- Ed, Cape
Cod, lots of experience in all areas, once was a
Jacques Cousteus body guard....
KD1ZY- Warren....3910
regular
N1IOM-
Paul.....3910 test king....testing......always
right....
N1YSU- Bob,
easy going, kind of like Mr. Rogers until politics
are brought up then watch out...
K1BNH- Bill- Used to work for
a bottled gas company-we think he has been around
nitrous oxide to long .
K1PV- Roger....75 meter
regular, easy going guy...
Silent KeyWB1DVD-
Gil....Gilly..Gilmore.....easy going, computer parts
selling, New England Ham..
Silent KeyKB1CJG-"Cobby"-
Low key gent can be found on many of the 75 meter
nets.........
Silent KeyWB1AAZ-
Mike, Antrim, NH, auto parts truck driver-retired
Silent Key
W1OKQ- Jack....3936 Wheeling
and Dealing......keeping the boys on there toes....
Silent Key
W1TCS- Terry....75
meter regular, wealth of electronic knowledge...
Silent Key
WIPNR-
Mack....DXCC Master, worked them all!.. 3864 regular
for many years...
Silent Key
WILIM-
Hu....SK at 92... 3864 regular for many
years...
Silent Key
N1SIE- Dave....Loves
to fly
Silent Key:N1WBD- Big
Bob- Tallest ham, at 6'10", of the 3864 group
Silent Key:
W1FSK-Steve....Navy Pilot, HRO
Salesman, has owned every radio ever built!
Silent Key:
W4NTI-Vietnam Dan....far
from easy going cw and ssb op on 14275/313
Silent Key:K1FUB-Bill-
Loved ham radio........Ham Radio Ambassador!
Silent Key:
K1GAR- John- Very colorful
character!......self appointed "hambassador" by
Gordon West.....
Silent Key:
N1GXW-Frank-Mellow Mainer..........
Silent Key:W1JSH-Mort-
Nice fellow to talk to on 3936 on the early
afternoon session
Silent Key:
K4WHO-Kerry-Mellow ham,
professional musician, one of the nice guys
on14313....
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